What's coming on 20th Oct

[Brollyflower]

So go on then all knowledgable MNetters... if the big slashes are yet to come, what will they be?

Are we talking tax rises or what? People keep saying no part of peoples lives will be untouched and the savings needed are massive, so can we please have some examples of what might actually be cut?

Is this just the spending review, ie how to cut costs, or are they going to up taxes as well?

mumblechum its the spending review where the Govt decides how much money each department gets for the next 3 years.

So it's about setting dept budgets and we'll be able to see where the cuts are by dept, which in turn will shake out the coalition's policies as each dept will need to decide how to deliver their activities on their decimated reduced budgets.

In the end there doesn't seem to be much difference between cutting costs and raising taxes - except in how the burden is spread. E.g. cutting child benefit is effectively a tax rise for those affected, the same for universtity funding - funding is cut so tuition fees rise. Someone still has to pay.

I really hope they don't cut the schools budget as there is no fat in there. Our school is always begging for money as it is.

roastchicken the schools budget is going to be cut and I think there is room for it to be cut. The amount of money that LEAs waste is staggering and that is the reason why schools are often starved of funding.

so if we piece together all the snippets that have come out

spending on health not being cut (although this is a cut in real terms with a growing population & increasing longevity)

spending on schools not being cut (although this is a cut in real terms, particularly at primary level with the increasing birth rate)

spending on defence only cut by 7-8%

Now the big four by a long way are health, education, defence & welfare...

...so how on earth are they going to achieve 40% overall?

One obvious thing is to put the state pension age up AGAIN.

When I started working it was 60, then 65, now 67, after Wednesday ??

I also expect loads of things to become means tested - the 15hrs free nursery for 3+ for example...

BetsyBoop, I would still like to see an end to the subsidy of those in nursery reception classes within private schools (I'm not talking about dedicated nursery schools that are privately operated but the 3-5 age group of prep schools going up to age 11). I'm not sure if the parents see the money but the schools certainly pocket it.

...and after all the slashing cuts, the plans to SPEND a minimum of £34bn of public money on a high speed rail link founded on a flawed business plan and completely unnecessary in a country that already has one of the best rail networks in Europe - oh joy

"...so how on earth are they going to achieve 40% overall?"

You have to look more closely at the announcements. Spending on schools is protected but the Dept of Education still has to find savings. On welfare we've already had the tax credit changes, CB changes, HB changes and caps on total benefits plus the reclassification for illness which will put more people on the cheaper JSA, most likely. Defence (as in the armed forces and existing contracts) are being protected/honoured but the Department of Defence is having to make big savings and big job losses. Quangos have been reassigned within bigger departments. Even the 'ring-fenced' NHS is going to have to make savings - which is right

@Crazedmum. Don't be surprised if the high speed rail link has to go ahead because, like the contracts for the aircraft carriers the last government committed to, it would cost more to cancel it than to go ahead.

500,000 public sector jobs

Mr Competent unveils the plans a day early

500,000 over five years. Important to include the time-frame.

I would put money on nursery places being meanstested/going. I think the free stuff for middle classes will all be going - prescriptions/child care/ anything they can charge us for. Which is sad, as I am banking on the free childcare next year allowing me to keep some of my current salary. 2/3 currently goes on petrol and childcare. When we lose CB it won't be worth my working - I'll be stuck at home (against my wishes) wasting all the education Cameron wants us all to get, regardless of class etc. Slightly ironic.

@grumpyvamps... and why will it be you at home rather than your partner? Why wouldn't it be him (assuming there is a him) that wastes his education?

The number of job losses don't sound too bad (I was expecting there to be more) particulary if spread over 5 years. The private sector ought to be able to take up the strain in that regard.

@Chil1234 At this point nothing is agreed, so in theory they should have nothing to compense for. The problem is that Cameron plans for this to be the jewel in his crown - he sacrificed the extra runway at Heathrow in order to get this...

Heathrow is far too big already, the traffic congestion is horrendous and it does an appalling job as a result. High speed rail means we can expand airports like Manchester and Birmingham East Midlands. Spread the population out a bit more, stop overcrowding the SE, and encourage companies to locate in the regions where jobs are needed. This is an infrastructure project that has merit.

diamond jubilee is well catered for then!!

The diamond jubilee I am sure will have a spin off in tourism so can understand that. Overall the cuts would seem reasonable although detail to be confirmed. I will be losing CB as high earner (just) but see it as reasonable. It is a luxury rather than a necessity and I would rather improve chances for my children in the longer term with apprenticeships (something that will help all social backgrounds) and keeping the funding in state schools, which we use. The State pension age going up is only a natural progression of life expectancy. My only issue is that if high earners are losing child benefit than high earners should also lose winter fuel allowance. those people are less likely to use public transport and therefore I think they could keep their free bus passes. That would be fairer. There are an awful lot of poor pensioners, poorer than most families but there are some high earners and there should have been a reduction here. Most high earning pensioners would accept this.